The CEOs leading ambulatory surgery centers and physician practices are championing affordable, accessible and innovative value-based care. Their forward-thinking leadership helps ensure that patients receive high-quality treatment in convenient, cost-effective settings.
Becker’s is proud to recognize these leaders for their role in shaping a healthcare landscape that better meets patient and provider needs.
Note: We compiled this list using editorial research and did not accept nominations. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included leaders or associated healthcare providers. Leaders cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order.
Please contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with any questions or comments.
Shakeel Ahmed. CEO of Atlas Surgical Group (St. Louis). Dr. Ahmed is the founder and CEO of Atlas Surgical Group, which aims to be the Midwest’s largest and most influential network of ambulatory surgery centers. Since establishing the organization in 2003, Dr. Ahmed has built a comprehensive outpatient care ecosystem spanning multiple states, including ASCs, diagnostic centers and specialized surgical facilities. An internationally recognized authority on ambulatory surgery, he has authored nine books and hundreds of peer-reviewed articles. He also serves as publisher and editor-in-chief of Surgery Business Magazine. Dr. Ahmed frequently lectures around the world and advises governments and health systems on developing outpatient surgical infrastructure. Under his leadership, Atlas Surgical Group has accelerated the adoption of robotics, AI and advanced analytics to enhance outcomes, improve efficiency and reduce the cost of care. The group performs tens of thousands of procedures annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for patients, payers and communities. Through this innovative model, Dr. Ahmed has helped redefine outpatient surgery and establish a standard that centers worldwide are striving to emulate.
Mike Boblitz. CEO of Athens (Ga.) Orthopedic Clinic. Mr. Boblitz was appointed CEO of Athens Orthopedic Clinic in February 2025, bringing over 20 years of leadership experience. Prior to joining the clinic, Mr. Boblitz served as CEO of Tallahassee (Fla.) Orthopedic Clinic, where he led transformative advancements in orthopedic care delivery. His career includes strategic leadership roles at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins, where he helped plan and build a visionary new hospital, and at Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Gwinnett Health System, where he spent seven years improving operational performance. At Athens Orthopedic Clinic, which has been serving Northeast Georgia for nearly 60 years, Mr. Boblitz is focused on delivering patient-centered, affordable and integrated orthopedic care. He champions a seamless care model unified under one roof and one medical record, emphasizing accessibility and clinical excellence. As CEO, Mr. Boblitz leads strategic growth, clinical operations and community outreach to elevate the clinic.
Trish Bowling. CEO of Texas Back Institute (Plano). Ms. Bowling is the CEO of Texas Back Institute, a multidisciplinary academic spine center known for pioneering advanced spine procedures, driving innovation through numerous FDA trials and training future surgeons through its distinguished fellowship programs. Ms. Bowling joined the organization in 2005 as CFO, later becoming COO in 2008 and CEO in 2010, bringing with her two decades of healthcare industry expertise. At Texas Back Institute, Ms. Bowling oversees clinical operations and strategic initiatives that support the institute’s mission of restoring patients’ quality of life through cutting-edge spine care. Her leadership has reinforced the organization’s reputation for clinical excellence, technological advancement and compassionate, patient-centered care. She continues to champion initiatives that strengthen the institute’s academic, research and clinical impact across the region and beyond.
Brett Brodnax. Executive Chairman of United Surgical Partners International (Dallas). Mr. Brodnax is the executive chairman of United Surgical Partners International, bringing more than 30 years of healthcare leadership to the ambulatory surgery platform. Widely regarded for his ability to deliver strong business performance while maintaining a mission-driven culture, he has been instrumental in shaping USPI’s growth and national influence. Since joining the company in 1999, he has held several key leadership positions, including senior vice president, executive vice president, chief development officer and president. Prior to USPI, he served as assistant vice president at Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System, one of USPI’s founding partners, where he helped pioneer the partnership strategy that has become a core differentiator for the company. His work forging collaborative relationships with leading health systems and physicians has fueled USPI’s expansion and earned him broad respect across the industry.
David J. Jacofsky, MD. Founder and CEO of Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company and The CORE Institute (Phoenix). Dr. Jacofsky is an internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon, innovator and health care strategist who serves as founder and CEO of Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company, known as HOPCo, The CORE Institute and numerous affiliated entities. An authority in complex adult joint reconstruction, oncology and value-based care transformation, he has also led multiple successful start-up companies and currently chairs the board of Cold Plasma Medical Technologies. Dr. Jacofsky is a prolific academic contributor, with more than 85 peer-reviewed publications, over 25 book chapters, three orthopedic textbooks, and service on the editorial boards of The Journal of Arthroplasty, The Journal of Knee Surgery, The Journal of Hip Surgery, and Orthopedics. An inventor with more than 30 patents, he is widely regarded as a leader in clinical innovation and health system redesign. His work has earned extensive recognition, including “Healthcare Leader of the Year” from Arizona Business Magazine and a “Special Merit Award” for innovation from the Phoenix Business Journal. Under his leadership, The CORE Institute has been ranked Arizona’s No. 1 orthopedic group for seven consecutive years by AZ Big Media‘s Ranking Arizona.
Andrew Lovewell. CEO of Columbia (Mo.) Orthopedic Group. Mr. Lovewell is the CEO of Columbia Orthopaedic Group, where he is leading the orthopedic practice through a period of strategic growth and operational modernization. He joined the organization in 2018 as administrator of The Surgical Center at Columbia Orthopaedic Group, which under his leadership was named the No. 7 ambulatory surgery center in the nation and the top ASC in Missouri on Newsweek’s “Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers” list for 2021. Since his promotion to CEO, Mr. Lovewell has expanded the group’s partner base and established new outreach clinics to broaden access to specialized orthopedic care across surrounding communities. His current priorities include managing rising cost pressures, navigating increasingly complex payer authorization and contracting landscapes, and positioning the organization for long-term resilience. A forward-looking leader, he anticipates that continued technological advancement will accelerate the shift of higher-acuity orthopedic procedures into ASC settings. Mr. Lovewell is recognized for his innovation and leadership in the field, earning a spot on the COMO Business Times “20 Under 40” list in 2024.
Winborne Macphail. CEO of SCA Health (Birmingham, Ala.). Ms. Macphail is the CEO of SCA Health, where she leads nationwide strategy and operations for a rapidly expanding portfolio of more than 370 ambulatory surgery centers and specialty practices across 37 states. A 14-year veteran of SCA Health, she has consistently driven year-over-year growth, strengthened operational performance and advanced the organization’s position as a national leader in ASC innovation. Before becoming CEO in 2025, she served as president and COO, overseeing business development, group operations and strategic initiatives that broadened access to high-quality surgical care. She is known for cultivating strong physician and teammate engagement while positioning SCA Health at the forefront of emerging trends, including robotics, AI integration, and the migration of high-acuity and general surgical procedures to the ASC setting. Ms. Macphail brings more than three decades of leadership experience to her role.
Travis Messina. CEO of Regent Surgical Health (Franklin, Tenn.). Mr. Messina is the CEO of Regent Surgical Health, one of the nation’s leading joint-venture operators of ambulatory surgery centers, partnering with health systems and physician groups to develop, own and manage 26 ASCs across more than 13 states. A seasoned health care innovator, Mr. Messina previously founded and served as CEO of Contessa, a pioneer in comprehensive home-based care models including hospital at home, rehab at home and palliative care, guiding the company to a successful acquisition by Amedisys in 2021. He later served as president of the Contessa division within Amedisys before joining Regent in 2023. His earlier leadership roles include chief investment officer of Martin Ventures, vice president of development for Vanguard Health Systems, and positions in healthcare investment banking and mergers and acquisitions. Known for his strategic discipline, he ensures each ASC partnership begins with a clear understanding of system-level objectives, helping Regent establish a distinct, strategy-first identity in the ASC marketplace. He has also driven major investments in EHRs, analytics and data-driven operations to strengthen performance and long-term sustainability. Under his leadership, Regent has achieved exceptional engagement results, including 94th-percentile employee and physician partner satisfaction and physician Net Promoter Scores in the 90th percentile.
Jeff Snodgrass. President and CEO of AmSurg (Nashville, Tenn.). Mr. Snodgrass is president and CEO of AmSurg, which provides ambulatory surgical care across more than 250 surgery centers and offers services spanning gastroenterology, ophthalmology, orthopedics and other key specialties. Appointed CEO in 2023 after serving as president since 2020, he has guided the organization through significant strategic growth and operational optimization while maintaining AmSurg’s longstanding collaborative partnership model with physicians. Under his leadership, AmSurg has diversified its service line portfolio, strengthened health system partnerships, enhanced support for independent physician practices and invested heavily in team development and culture. With St. Louis-based Ascension’s recently announced agreement to acquire AmSurg, Mr. Snodgrass is focused on preserving and advancing the collaborative operating model that is central to the organization’s success. Before joining AmSurg, Mr. Snodgrass served as president and CEO of Azura Vascular Care and National Cardiology Partners, where he helmed outpatient vascular and cardiology, interventional and surgical business units.
Alex Vaccaro, MD, PhD. President of Rothman Orthopaedics (Philadelphia). Dr. Vaccaro, president of Rothman Orthopaedics, is an internationally recognized spine surgeon and researcher. He has authored more than 1,200 peer-reviewed publications and over 380 book chapters, as well as edited more than 65 textbooks, reflecting his profound influence on the field. Dr. Vaccaro is a past president of multiple national and international societies, including the Cervical Spine Research Society, the American Spinal Injury Association and the Association for Collaborative Spine Research, and is a recipient of the North American Spine Society’s prestigious “Leon Wiltse Award” for leadership and clinical research. He also serves as co-director of the Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley, advancing care and research for spinal injury patients across the region. A long-time advocate for value-based care, he has led efforts to move appropriate orthopedic procedures from high-cost hospital settings to ambulatory centers, generating millions in savings while maintaining excellent patient outcomes. Today, Dr. Vaccaro is at the forefront of integrating AI into surgical practice, championing AI as a promising tool for restoring efficiency, elevating clinical judgment and improving national healthcare sustainability. He is also advocating for policy reforms that will keep reimbursement consistent with inflation.
